How to Apply

If you are not currently enrolled in a degree program at either the Bloomberg School or the Johns Hopkins University, you are considered a "non-degree applicant."  Non-degree applicants must apply through SOPHAS Express and pay the application fee.

Students who have not completed an undergraduate degree at an accredited institution are not eligible to apply for BSPH certificate programs, as the coursework for certificate programs is at the graduate level.

Certificate students may not apply the same courses (either elective or required) towards more than one certificate program. Certificate students may only enroll in one certificate program at a time and must complete one certificate program before beginning coursework towards another program. Certificate students may not register for additional courses at BSPH beyond those that have been approved as necessary to complete the certificate program. 

International Applicants Please Note: Certificate programs typically do NOT qualify for visa sponsorship. Most international students are advised to consider certificate programs that can be completed online from their country of residence. Only Legal Permanent Residents and non-immigrants who are otherwise physically present in the US and in a status that allows for study may be eligible to pursue a certificate program in person at the Bloomberg School.

Application Components

SOPHAS EXPRESS APPLICATION

Submit a formal application and select the certificate program to which you wish to apply. Please see the Application Deadlines chart below.

PAYMENT OF APPLICATION FEE

Certificate applicants are not eligible for a fee waiver.

NARRATIVE COMPONENT

As part of the application, you will be asked to submit a brief narrative outlining your background and goals vis-a-vis the certificate program's learning objectives. 

ANTICIPATED COURSE SCHEDULE

After your application is submitted and processed, you will receive an email granting you access to your applicant portal. As part of your application, this email will also indicate that you need to submit an anticipated course schedule showing which term you intend to start the certificate program and the terms in which you will take each course. The link to the form will be included in this email – please be sure to fill out the form carefully and completely.

• Your start term will be the term in which you first take certificate courses for academic credit. Introduction to Online Learning must be completed prior to enrolling in online courses; in most cases, it must be completed prior to the start term. By contrast, 550.860 Academic and Research Ethics at the Bloomberg School must be taken in conjunction with courses for academic credit in order for the requirement to be met, so students should plan to take it during their start term. 
• Please note that any changes to the curriculum must be approved in writing by the certificate program before the accepted student registers for any coursework that is different from that which was proposed in the anticipated course schedule. 
• Students in a certificate program may not register for any additional courses at the Bloomberg School beyond those that have been approved as necessary to complete the certificate program. 

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Ask a recommender to submit a letter of recommendation. Certificate programs require one letter of recommendation.

RESUME

Submit resume or curriculum vitae as an upload to your online application. 

TRANSCRIPTS

Submit unofficial transcripts from all college-level institutions that you have attended, regardless of the number of credits earned or whether the grade appears on your home institution's transcript. Students should not send transcripts to SOPHAS Express, but must send them directly from the academic institution to the BSPH Admissions Office.  

The Bloomberg School accepts transcripts electronically through the following vendors: National Student Clearinghouse, Parchment, Greenlight Credentials, and MyCred CA (Digitary). If your school does not use these services, please request that a hard copy be mailed to the BSPH Admissions Office. Please note: Applicants should not send electronic transcripts directly to the BSPH Admissions Office, as the Admissions Office will not be able to accept them if sent by the applicants themselves. 

Non-US or non-English-speaking Canadian transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services (WES) and submitted directly to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health by WES. Credential evaluation requirements are explained in greater detail on the School's Office of Admissions Services' webpage for International Applicants. 

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST SCORES

Most international applicants must submit scores of an English language proficiency test. English language proficiency requirements are explained in greater detail on the School's Office of Admissions Services' webpage for international applicants. 

START TERMS

Please review each individual certificate program page to view eligible start terms.

APPLICATION DEADLINES: FOR NON-DEGREE APPLICANTS ONLY

BSPH students should review the webpage of the certificate program that interests them and follow admissions instructions for degree students, or contact the certificate program contact person if they have questions about the process. Some certificate programs may require students to notify the certificate program’s administrative contact or to consult with the faculty sponsor(s) prior to beginning certificate course work.

NOTE: Students enrolled in MAS degree programs are not eligible to apply to BSPH certificate programs until they have completed their degree program. 

Admissions Requirements and Application Procedures  

All JHU graduate degree students in good academic standing are eligible to apply for certificate programs. JHU undergraduate students enrolled in the Public Health Studies major are eligible only for specific certificate programs that have received prior approval from the School’s Committee on Academic Standards. Individual certificate programs may have specific admissions and application requirements; some certificate programs require students to submit a declaration of intent or an application form by a particular deadline or prior to registering for certificate coursework. Students enrolled in JHU divisions other than the Bloomberg School should review the webpage of the certificate program that interests them and follow application instructions for degree students, or contact the certificate program contact person if they have questions about the application process. Some certificate programs may require students to notify the certificate program’s administrative contact or to consult with the faculty sponsor(s) prior to beginning certificate course work. Students enrolled in programs in other divisions of JHU may be asked to submit a letter of recommendation from their academic adviser prior to beginning a certificate program at the Bloomberg School.  

Enrollment Instructions for Students in Other Divisions of JHU

Students who are completing degree programs in other divisions of JHU will follow instructions for registering for BSPH courses via interdivisional registration. After being accepted into a BSPH certificate program, they will need to complete the SEAM online form, noting that they have been accepted into a BSPH certificate program as an interdivisional student and request assistance registering.

• Introduction to Online Learning must be completed prior to enrolling in online courses at the Bloomberg School.
•  550.860 Academic and Research Ethics at the Bloomberg School must be taken in conjunction with courses for academic credit in order for the requirement to be met, so students should plan to take it during their first term of BSPH coursework.

Academic Requirements   

Students enrolled in JHU degree programs and BSPH degree programs must fulfill the following certificate program requirements. 

• All certificate courses must be taken for academic credit. Required courses must be taken for a letter grade unless the course is only offered pass/fail, or unless the Bloomberg School has made a decision to temporarily suspend its pass/fail policy.  
• Students enrolled in degree programs in other divisions of JHU may only enroll in one certificate program at a time, and must complete one certificate program before beginning coursework for another. On a case-by-case basis, the Committee on Academic Standards (CAS) will consider requests for exceptions that  include: a letter of request initiated and signed by the student and their academic adviser, a signed letter of support from the certificate program’s faculty sponsor that includes the rationale for the support, and a timetable for completion of the course requirements for both certificate programs developed by the student in collaboration with the programs.   
• Students enrolled in degree programs in other divisions of JHU must complete the certificate program either before or at the same time as they complete their primary degree program or within three years of commencing the first certificate course, whichever is sooner. In the event that students wish to complete their certificate programs after finishing their degrees, they must apply to the certificate program as non-degree students upon graduation.